From Nairobi to Cape Town in public transport. #photography

Today we chat to Dillon Marsh . Thank you for giving us a few moments of you time and welcome to the SA Creative Network.

Please introduce yourself and tell us what you do.

I developed an interest in photography while studying fine art at the University of Stellenbosch and it has remained a passion of mine ever since. I have often combined this passion with my love of travel to photographically document the various places I visited. Closer to home, I have also produced a few series handling specific subjects ranging from disguised cell phone towers to sociable weaver bird nests on telephone poles. I currently work as a retouch artist in Cape Town with the aim of growing my fine art career on the side.

You travelled from Nairobi to Cape Town with your girlfriend a while ago, which resulted in a stunning collection of work. Tell us a little about your trip and the images you captured.

My girlfriend originally put forward the idea of travelling through Africa using public transport. I had been on 4X4 camping trips through southern Africa with my family before, but the prospect of using public transport seemed to promise a new perspective. After much deliberation, we eventually settled on a route that led us in a roundabout way from Nairobi to Cape Town. I took my camera along and photographed everything of interest along the way. I didn’t have a specific agenda with my photography; I just tried to capture some of the adventure of the journey.

You also travelled to Varanasi in India and captured some amazing images. Please tell us more about these images.

I had seen a documentary that showed the city of Varanasi in India and it immediately struck me as a fascinating and photogenic place. Months later, I found myself with some time off, so I booked a flight to New Delhi and took a train to Varanasi. I spent a week wandering the maze-like streets photographing the street scenes. The people were incredibly friendly and open to being photographed, and with my Hasselblad’s ability to shoot Polaroid film to produce instant photographs, I often found myself the centre of attention.

What are you working on at the moment and what are your hopes for the future?

There are two new subject-based series that I am working on at the moment and I am also compiling a series of photos of a recent trip to Namibia. These should all be completed by the end of the year.

I’d like to be able to pursue my art career full-time in the near future, but for now I am focusing on getting my work and name known, and seeing what opportunities arise from this.

What advice would you give to our young budding photographers in South Africa looking to do what you do?

If you are confident about your work, don’t be afraid to show it to gallery owners. It is often a scary prospect due to the fear of rejection, but there is no better way of gaining experience and you will never know whether you can make it until you try.

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